2020 London Marathon – the 40th Race

[WhitstableDave]

As you are probably aware, the London Marathon will be a little different this year. While 'elite' runners will be running in London, up to 45,000 others can take part in an official virtual version on Sunday 4th October.
 
My wife signed up this morning for the virtual event and plans to run a 26.2 mile course from home. Not wanting to be left out, I signed up too, but I’ll be walking, not running. According to the official website: 'Participants have 23 hours 59 minutes and 59 seconds to run, jog or walk the 26.2 mile distance, anytime from 00:00 to 23:59:59 BST on Sunday 4 October.' That's good enough for me!
 
My plan is to get one of my daughters to drop me at Lenham, near the North Downs Way, and I'll walk about 20 miles along it to Canterbury, and from there follow the Crab and Winkle Way for the 6 miles home. It's a route I know well, so no navigation will be required!
 
Although we've both signed up and paid our £20 entry fees, we would have attempted marathons on that day anyway even if there had been no 'official' places left.
 
If you're interested, here's the link: 
 
https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/your-way/home.html

[ninthace]

The nearest I have ever got to a marathon was the Kirkby Stephen Yomp which, at 38km,  is just shy of a full marathon but does involve 1300m of height gain and is nearly all in rough country with the odd boggy bit thrown in.  It's a good day out though!  When I did it, there was the option of walking or running so i walked.  I still passed some of the runners on the up hill bits though.  https://www.yomp.org/

Enjoy your personal marathon - I will be thinking of you. 

[BuzyG]

Good luck with your marathon Dave.   

I should have been setting off to jog the Dartmoor Highgroud 50 at 6am this morning. Alas another that has had to be cancelled. 

http://www.dartmoorhighground.com/dartmoor-ultra-50-route

[WhitstableDave]

Good luck with your marathon Dave.   

I should have been setting off to jog the Dartmoor Highgroud 50 at 6am this morning. Alas another that has had to be cancelled. 

http://www.dartmoorhighground.com/dartmoor-ultra-50-route

Looks an amazing race Buzy. I'm surprised it's been cancelled though - I understand the North Downs Way 100 mile went ahead earlier this month.

Perhaps I should ask this in a different topic, but we're staying for a week in Lydford by Dartmoor next month and are hoping to find a few routes for 10km or so runs in the area. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

[BuzyG]

The marathon was just a superb day out last year. Only around 115 competitors as I recall. So they would possibly have lost money enforcing Covid regulation this year. Darn shame. Might just be the fun run up Yes tor and back next year. Training for the 50 was taking it out of my aging joints

[Jac]

In 2000 I completed the 27 mile OATS walk across Dartmoor from Ivybridge to Okehampton. Only10 hours allowed and we took all of it. Great day out. It was in April and there was snow in the high ground and in the peat passes.
I was 20 years younger and fitter then

[harland]

Thanks WhitstableDave I managed to get signed up a few days ago before entries closed. I ran it in my 30s, 40s and 50s but I will be walking it this time in my 70s. Something to challenge my body and to keep me fit for my next LDP whenever that will be.

[WhitstableDave]

Thanks WhitstableDave I managed to get signed up a few days ago before entries closed. I ran it in my 30s, 40s and 50s but I will be walking it this time in my 70s. Something to challenge my body and to keep me fit for my next LDP whenever that will be.

You are most welcome. I'm delighted that you've signed up and that I won't be the only forum member taking part on the day! 

[Rob Goes Walking]

Good luck Dave.

The nearest I have ever got to a marathon was the Kirkby Stephen Yomp which, at 38km,  is just shy of a full marathon but does involve 1300m of height gain and is nearly all in rough country with the odd boggy bit thrown in.  It's a good day out though!  When I did it, there was the option of walking or running so i walked.  I still passed some of the runners on the up hill bits though.  https://www.yomp.org/

Enjoy your personal marathon - I will be thinking of you. 

Something I only just recently learned about going uphill from running rather than walking but I've tried it walking too and the same thing happened is if you don't already know this (I bet a few of you or maybe even quite a few, most? Did everyone know but me?) is try halving your stride length and doubling your cadence (foot turnover speed). You won't double your cadence probably but that's not the point just increasing it a bit with half the stride length made funny things happen to my heart rate and pace, good things. I expect the larger the walker/runner, the bigger this difference will be.

[WhitstableDave]

Good luck Dave.

Something I only just recently learned about going uphill from running rather than walking but I've tried it walking too and the same thing happened is if you don't already know this (I bet a few of you or maybe even quite a few, most? Did everyone know but me?) is try halving your stride length and doubling your cadence (foot turnover speed). You won't double your cadence probably but that's not the point just increasing it a bit with half the stride length made funny things happen to my heart rate and pace, good things. I expect the larger the walker/runner, the bigger this difference will be.

Thanks Rob. 

It's funny you should mention reducing stride length and increasing cadence for hills, because that's something I've learned only recently from taking up running and, as you say, it's quite effective. I'm not really talking about slow slogs up stony hills (although it's probably a good technique there too), but rather about maintaining a good pace on steady steepish gradients.

It's nice to talk about technique for a change...   

[WhitstableDave]

It's exactly one week to go 'till the London Marathon. 

I've planned my route, and it's easy enough to commit to memory to save me carrying my handheld GPS.

The race numbers have arrived along with four safety pins for each - I'll have one bib pinned to my backpack. The phone app (that I imagine is to record and verify the race) should be available in the next few days.

The forecast at the moment is for light rain and a moderate breeze, which isn't too bad. I'm getting quite excited. 
 


It's the route I mentioned in the OP - about 20 miles towards Canterbury along the North Downs Way followed by about 6 miles towards Whitstable along the Crab and Winkle Way.

[gunwharfman]

My technique for trying to run uphills is to use a combination of short steps, then long steps then short ones again, I tend to do 40-50 paces at a time (I count them as I go) as I try to shift the energy needed to different parts of my legs. I also try to shift from the ball of my feet to running flat footed for 40-50 paces, I find using as many variables as possible tends to help me, but not always, of course, some hills always defeat me. My personal rule is that even if I can't make it to the top by running I will just carry on walking. For me, to stop is when I tick it as a failure.

I've never tried a marathon, I've just completed two Great South Runs. Not keen on it though, I like to run alone.

[WhitstableDave]

...
I've never tried a marathon, I've just completed two Great South Runs. Not keen on it though, I like to run alone.

Just to make sure that no one thinks I'll be running a marathon next  Sunday... I'm walking one. I'll certainly be walking alone though - I doubt I'll see another soul the whole way! 

My wife is running her first marathon though. She'll be doing this there-and-back route along the coast...

[harland]

I wasn't going to put my race number on as I might look a bit of an idiot (no comments please!) walking along with casual Sunday walkers going past me. It may also encourage people to come close to chat with me and I don't want people near me! I can't understand why they are delaying sending out the app until next week.

[WhitstableDave]

I wasn't going to put my race number on as I might look a bit of an idiot (no comments please!) walking along with casual Sunday walkers going past me. It may also encourage people to come close to chat with me and I don't want people near me! I can't understand why they are delaying sending out the app until next week.

Do you get many casual walkers out walking up north when it's raining? Perhaps they're a tougher lot than those down south! 

I've just had a concerning moment. A 1000+ runner marathon that was postponed in the spring is using a few miles of the North Downs Way starting from Charing - about 4 miles further along from where I'll be starting. They're doing a staggered start over 2 hours, so I've got to time it so I don't get to Charing before the last group of interlopers has joined my(!) route.